Fat Kid Food Crush..........(Apple Cider Doughnuts)

   Every Saturday morning you can find me at farmers market in The Piazza. Although I could be picking up any number of items, my main draw is always Highlands Orchards for the apple cider doughnuts. I have eaten as many as six, but you can still find happiness with just one.

The Skinny Fat Kid

http://www.highlandorchards.net

Young Eastwood just tryin to eat good....(JG Domestic)

Jidori Chicken , White Yam, Chicken Liver Gravy

    Let's be honest. Jose Garces is no longer a mere man. He isn't even just a chef anymore; he's a brand. He has reached a level where just the mention of his name elicits response. If you have ever been present in one of his restaurants when he is you will know what I am talking about. I was very excited to hear that he would have a fried chicken dish on the menu at his newest restaurant JG Domestic. JG Domestic is another departure for Jose from his Latin food driven empire that looks to embrace the best U.S. farmers have to offer. He does a great job of it too.
   Much like the District Chicken at Garces' Modern mexican outpost Distrito, the fried chicken is sous vide before frying. At JG Domestic Chef de Cuisine Dave Conn uses Jidori Chicken that he crust in cornflakes and serves over a delicious white yam puree with a chicken liver gravy and red cabbage slaw. Juicy breast meat beneath a crispy cornflake crust. An all around good dish, but if you are in the neighborhood for a late lunch or happy hour there is one thing you must get. The greatest bar snack ever is the dish of Hickory Smoked Georgia Pecans. Get over there as soon as possible to eat these. They and some other great salads and sandwiches are well worth the trip.

Hickory Smoked Georgia Pecans

The Skinny Fat Kid


JG Domestic
Cira Centre, Ground Floor
2929 Arch Street, Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
Phone: 215-222-2363
http://www.jgdomestic.com

Don't get too close because you might get shot...(Deborah's Kitchen)

  Girard Avenue is an interesting place. I said once in a rant that maybe it should be scrapped and started all over. It has stretches that just seem like they will never be full of life. I think the symbol of what Girard can be is promising. However what it symbolizes is more interesting. I see Girard as one of the last untouched neighborhoods near the center of Philadelphia. On the side of Girard closest to me there are a few new shops and restaurants opening. My favorite place in the world Paesano's is among them.  I am sure we are not too far away from the gentrification army trying to rename it something stupid like "Girard Corridor". On the side closest to Deborah's kitchen they like to call it Brewerytown. Nice try.
  In the section I refuse to refer to by that name sits a small takeout spot which is apparently owned by the aunt of a famous football player. He caught many balls from an MVP quarterback and allegedly packs heat that he is not afraid to use.( I'm joking so please do not send me nasty emails. I am only hear to talk about food not criminal investigations.)
  Deborah's is located on an lively block located near some of the revered soul food establishments in Philadelphia. Only a few blocks away lies Butter's, a place I have had the pleasure of visiting in the past. Although Deborah's location is in no way convenient it is worth that trip. I had good fried chicken and yams. I found the skin to be well seasoned and crisp and the breasts meat to be juicy and full of flavor. I will say the collards were underseasoned and the cornbread was not great either. I also had some fried fish which was quite tasty. Deborah's is also located just a few doors from a Lincoln Fried Chicken (same company as Crown Fried Chicken) which I visited for a 2 pice snack box before driving home. Crown still hold up even against Deborah's.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Deborah's Kitchen
2608 W Girard Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19130-1316
(215) 763-3327

It was all a dream..............(Debreaux's)

"Soul food is not fast food" ~ Debreaux's
"Debreaux's food is definitely not fast food" ~ The Skinny Fat Kid

  I have eaten out a lot. I have eaten a lot of soul food. I have even recently been eating a lot of fried chicken and had some orders take a good amount of time (up to a half an hour). Yet while I sat at Debraux's I could not help but notice the passage of time. I was sitting in this small place outside of Overbrook station excited about the idea of trying this and hopping the train back to Center City to do one more before work. I was unfazed by the oncoming rainstorm and the lack of battery life on my cell phone. Soon I would have fried chicken at 2 different restaurants and was a few hours away from making money. Eating and money, two of my favorite things. Before you suggest combining them; let me say money isn't very tasty.
  I noticed quickly that this was a small mom and pop eatery and was happy that the menu did carry the quote above about soul food. Working in restaurants for a long time I am surprised how impatient people can be when it comes to waiting a reasonable amount of time for quality.  However while Debraux's definitely has quality down, timeliness is not a strong point. I entered at 1:00 p.m. and ordered and did not receive my order until 1:50 p.m. No exaggeration. 50 minutes.  I know that this must have been a fluke and is probably not close to the average wait time, but it did throw off my schedule of eating for the day and made me wish I had taken a nap.
  The chicken itself was delicious. It was probably closest to my mother's in flavor and style and the portion was quite generous. Anyone not calling themselves a skinny fat kid could have broken it into two meals, but I have a reputation to protect. I can recommend this place given the overall quality and the menu does make me want to try other things. I will however probably call ahead next time and bring more DS games.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Debraux's
2135 N 63rd St
Philadelphia, PA 19151-2612
(215) 877-4559

Just a friendly game of baseball.............(Ms. Tootsie's)

 








  Philadelphia is a sports town. There are legions of truly passionate fans that take every loss as a personal one. This was the climate on Saturday night as the city bit their nails watching a dramatic finish to game 6 of the NLCS. After the end of the game the people of the city seemed more zombie like than I can recall. I walked by many of these deflated fans as I made my way to do the one thing I enjoy most; eating.
  My "opponent" this evening was  Ms. Tootsie's and my previous attempts at going one on one with the fried chicken were not successful. My first strikeout was several weeks ago in September during the first Sunday of NFL games. I was visiting a cousin in New Jersey and had make plans to visit Ms. Tootsie's when I got back to the city. I found myself much too tired when returning home. This was most likely due to the 2 game stretch of fried chicken away games in New Orleans. On my second swing I called to order some to go after a night at work. I had hope of victory because a flyer in Ms. Toostsie's door promised to-go orders until midnight Sun-Thurs and til 3.a.m. Fri and Sat. My call at 10:40 however was met by the news that they were closed (the dreaded change-up.)
   My final at bat had me nervous. I really was beginning to believe that maybe it was not meant to be. Instead of giving up I decided to take a long hike to South Street and hope by chance on this Saturday that I could find joy in a heartbroken city. Joy was found and a little bit of memories too. While waiting at the bar for my to go order I was taken back in time by the imagery on the flat screens above the bar. VH1 Soul was on every screen and although the music in the restaurant was a classic song later sampled by BDK, the "vixen" was Patra. For the youngsters reading; quite simply Patra was skanking it up before Trina, Lil Kim, and Ms. Minaj realized boys were not made of snakes, snails, and puppy dog tails.
    My order was completed in a timely manner and I made the taxi ride home to indulge. Really good fried chicken. Crisp as a Halladay shutout, juicy as the possible World Series vs. Cliff Lee. Yet the true stars of this series were the yams and the heavenly cornbread. There was a victory in Philly this Saturday night, a skinny fat one. I wonder if they make good fried chicken in Clearwater.

The Skinny Fat Kid

Ms Tootsie Soul Food Cafe

Ms. Tootsie's Soul Food Cafe
1314 South St
Philadelphia, PA 19147-1823
(215) 731-9045
http://www.kevenparker.net/

Brush yourself off and try again.. (Meme)

  I first heard of Meme's lunch deal awhile back. Long before I even thought of blogging there were internet and real life whispers of this fried chicken. I had been meaning to try it, but always  found my Thursday afternoons busy. I have heard from friends who did make the trip about how 'incomplete' my blog would be if I didn't try Meme's fried chicken. So I decided to make plans for a trip.
   It was not easy to make it happen. My first attempt was thwarted by a timing issue. I had made a trip to Overbrook station based on a tip about good fried chicken. I had given myself ample time to catch a train back, hit Meme for lunch and still get to work on time that evening. It was not meant to be as it took the spot in Overbrook 50 minutes to complete my order. Septa then decided to engage in its pastime of not being on time and I found myself abandoning the Meme quest. My second attempt got me to the entrance of the restaurant to find they had sold out of fried chicken. Finally on my third attempt I was fortunate enough to get to try it.
   My server explained to me that Thursday lunch at Meme only had one option; fried chicken. While I found this to be a partial gift of music to my ears, I also found myself a bit unnerved that they had run out the previous week. I work in restaurants and I understand running out of items on the menu. It was puzzling that you would run out of the only thing on the menu. Instead of trying to wrap my head around the idea I decided to just wrap my lips around some food.
   The first thing you notice about David Katz's fried chicken is the beauty. I wish that I had a really cool camera like the food stylist use. No picture I could take could really do these 2 pieces of chicken justice. Taste was exceptional as well. served with so far the best biscuit I have had this month. I will admit that as much as I pondered doing it, I could not bring myself to order a Miller High Life. I do have champagne taste but not for the "champagne of beers". I was lucky to have what may make the top 5 in "champagne of chicken".


The Skinny Fat Kid


Meme
2201 Spruce St
Philadelphia, PA 19103-5517
(215) 735-4900

http://www.memerestaurant.com/

The Problem with early morning flights

   As I sit in the B terminal of Philadelphia International Airport I notice I have a problem.  I don't sit still well.  I could probably use the opportunity to get some reading done or catch up on writing, but I doubt either will happen.  The airport is always kept too cold at this time of day to be comfortable. I am also anxious to just get on the damn plane. It is one of the few times I hate being responsible and on time. I also think 8 in the morning is too early for a drink at the airport bar although I am sure it is happy hour in some time zone. I always find at this time my mind is flooded with ideas on what airports need most.
    1. Music/video game stores. I could waste time browsing and buying and if the had a demo station I would school some young boys in Madden.
    2. Soul Food Restaurant. I would sleep like a baby after eating some ribs.
    3. Strip club.  Please someone do this. I understand some people would miss flights with the distraction. I am just thinking of the boost to morale of airport workers if they could get a lappie during break.
    4. Masseuse.  Not the cheap mall set up either. I mean a spa with manicures, facials and saunas. Hell even a hot shower right now would be great.
Any of these would be better than these uncomfortable chairs and overpriced news stands.

The Skinny Fat Kid